Thought processes and conversations started under the tilted cap of Tropicana Field. Someday everyone will know the Rays play in St. Petersburg, Florida, not TAMPA, or the fictitious city of TAMPA BAY.

Further Downward Spiral of the Marlins

I am not sure if it is politically correct yet to call them the “Miami Marlins” or do we still have to introduce them as the Florida Marlins until April? No matter which name is appropriate for the moment, the air in South Florida is becoming a bit foul recently, especially since the leaking of the Marlins newly proposed uniform and logo designs. They look and smell more like a forgotten pail of fish than the christening of a new Marlins era.

I commend the franchise for their want to change their public image and bare footprint in the Miami as the club nears their new stadium unveiling ceremony this April. Some would warrant the passing of the famed fish logo into the deep Atlantic abyss.

This redesign, the team’s transition from the famed Fish has so far gone from a fresh and vibrant transformation into something more mundane and muddled. It has begun to smell more like a forgotten and rotting Marlins carcasse. Why would the Marlins ownership and front office leave the pleasantries of the comforting Florida pastels and color palette and dive deep into this proposed logo and uniform monstrosity.

Bits and pieces of the Marlins intended 2012 changes to the franchise’s “look” and “feel” have leaked out into the cooling Florida air. Some have been greeted with consumer disdain and utter confusion on why the team took a 180 degree turn and sprint from their original aquamarine and grey undertones which typically were more “Miami” in concept than their present proposed Marlins re-creation.

The Marlins surely decided with great excitement and anticipation that their upcoming name change which would facilitate them dropping the “Florida” moniker and embrace their “Miami” community would become an enormous merchandising opportunity. But in my opinion the team went from heroes to zeros in nanoseconds when they lost their touch with their locale’s vibrant color scheme.

I know the Merchandising arm of the Marlins wanted to capitalize on their budding new look and surge forward in the MLB merchandising ranks just like the Tampa Bay Rays franchise experienced when they redesigned their uniform and logo back in November 2007. Possibly the huge success in merchandising sales combined with the Rays vibrant new logo and club colors warranted the Marlins wanting to ride this same merchandising and imagery wave.

This new Marlins concept is right up there with the Chicago White Sox old shorts and radically modernistic logo back in the 1980’s. Both quickly found themselves in the collectible piles, never to see the light of day again on a MLB field.

This new color scheme seems to solidly embrace more the hues experienced during those dreaded January-February Florida cold spells that try to yearly ruin our early Spring citrus/strawberry harvests. The Marlins uniforms remind me of color combinations from their “home” uniform which has the complexion of an orange on the tree as soot slightly covers the citrus and their “away” jersey reminds me of the accompanying blackening clouds that hang close to the crops perpetuated by the hundreds of smut pots littering Florida groves.

This uniform color combination looks great upon the Baltimore Orioles players because of their storied bird’s own color palette, but this color doesn’t seem to embrace or celebrate the magic that is the highly Hispanic region of South Florida.

The scaling back of the team cap logo into a more futuristic “M” doesn’t do this highly vibrant region any pure justice. It is just doesn’t convey the Florida region with any clarity or gusto. The design needs more Mojito and less dismal. Why in the name of Bud Selig did the club have to go and look more like the San Francisco Giants than the “Fun in the warm Florida Sun” Marlins?

I embraced the initial prototype Marlins logo when it was first introduced. It seemed to fully comprehend the Miami vibe with it’s art deco style lettering and that majestic Marlin making its jump along side the classic “F”. The new cap design doesn’t speak to the Florida mystic like the first version. It is a pity a franchise that has celebrated 2 World Championships has to feel this kind of ridicule or embarrassment, but it is definitely warranted.

I understand change has to happen and the Marlins uniform and logo will change with their surrounding environment, but how in the heck did this color pattern realistically emerge as a possible alternative? I just want to know if Marlins Manager Ozzie Guillen is re-thinking his invlovement with the club not wanting to look like a Grim Reaper or the Great Pumpkin in the dugout. I can’t wait to hear Ozzie speak on this topic.

From Little Havana to Coconut Grove you know the Marlins faithful will feel the urge to revolt, throw their opinions skyward hoping someone in the Marlin’s lofty tower will heed their concerns. Calling this design hideous is too lean a word. The Marlins hopefully have a back-up plan, a proposal that might unite and reconnect their community with the team. If not, the Marlins franchise might not see their vision of an increase in attendance or a resurgence in merchandising come to fruition in 2012.

The Marlins have to own up to their error now or face the possibility of a further disconnection with the South Florida communities that make up the Marlin’s fan pool. This is not to suggest the team needs to go over-the-top in their color analysis, but the present compilation will make an immediate disassociation between the ball club and their community.

I wish the Marlins fans luck. If this uniform change stays on track, you are going to need more than your I-pod earplugs to mute the laughs being heard in the stands around the National League. Possibly the worst MLB uniforms ever imagined. There is still time to tweak and change the prototypes, but that window is quickly closing. Maybe they are changing their name to the Miami Mundanes….It would fit the uniform changes.

11 Comments

Benny,
It is amazing the Marlins thought this would fly. Sure the new era of Marlins baseball should have uniforms and a logo update, but this is so far out in CF it might be up there with their “dancing Marlins” display that will celebrate each Marlins HR in 2012. It is almost like the entire franchise front office must be in Cocaine or Meth rehab right now and someone in the janitorial crew is facilitating the uniform and logo designs…Very un-Miami by even Sonny Crockett or Dexter Morgan standards.

Congrats on topping the FAN category in our October Latest Leaders! FYI you also were among the top three for overall page views in the community, a Dan Johnson rocket shot that propelled you through the month. Well done!

Thanks Mark.
You know I have a ball writing on here and the people have been very supportive. I know I am averaging around 30,000+ page views a month, so people either find me, or accidently find me (lol).
Been a total blast, and I really think we are not even at the top of the mountain yet. Potential for this group of blogging maniacs is infinite…..Looking forward to a wild off season of writs and rants.

I saw those new ‘uniforms’ on a few sports sites and just wrote them off. Not because they suck but because they make the Miami Marlins, the team who has re-branded themselves ‘Latin America’s Team’ look no different than the University of Miami Baseball team. I did a lil’ bit of a history of baseball jerseys a way back… http://cordaro9418.mlblogs.com/2011/06/10/a-brief-history/

Now, looking at many of the major sports towns, there are obviously trends of teams keeping a common theme…. In Boston, the Red Sox and Patriots wear Red,White and Blue while in New York the Knicks and Mets share the Giants orange and Dodger blue where as in Pittsburgh, for the majority of several decades, each pro team (Penguins, Steelers and Pirates) wore black and yellow (Penguins now wear gold). But, taking in the histories of jerseys… they change a lot. The NHL has been seeing jerseys change almost annually since Reebok took over as the league’s official maker of ‘uniform systems’ (which in most cases brought a great retro flair to the league). The Penguins were hounded for years under accusations of raiding Boston’s Black & Gold motif while the Arizona Diamondbacks began their major league tenure looking like a minor league team for the purple pinstriped Rockies. The LA Kings changed their jerseys from the Laker based purple/yellow to the then LA Raiders silver/black. In fact, with the Rays updating to a blue, navy and white motif, they match their in town hockey brethren in the Lightning. Which is pretty retro and cool.

If the Marlins incorporate the orange into their white, teal and black… okay. Outline or shadow the ‘Miami Marlins’ or the ‘F’ logo, maybe have some sort of Dolphins-esque third jersey… but please don’t get too carried away. Maybe lose the pinstripes or follow the Rays lead and go to a subtle, retro type. I understand wanting to be ‘Latin America’s Team’ and looking to sign Jose Reyes and maybe Aramis Ramirez to play alongside Hanley under Ozzie but do you want to try and shell out $25 million a year for Albert Pujols just to make him look like an NCAA baseball player gone wild?

Hopefully those uniform (and hat… and logo) prints are just someone’s twisted and failed attempt at passing time… please? Otherwise, like the Chicago White Sox uniforms of the 70’s and ’80’s, Islanders ‘Fisherman’ jersey of the 90’s or the Texas (Rangers) ‘T’ of the late ’90’s and early 00’s… may they be short lived.

Cordaro,
As of right now, those are the ulgiest thing I have seen since those White Sox shorts, or the Oregon Ducks unis. I can see the Marlins positioning themselves as “Latin America’s Team” with the addition of Ozzie and some crafty trades or signings. Still 2012 will be a work in progress both with assimulating to an indoor stadium, trying to regain the region’s trust, plus possibly bringing in some talent to help take them back into contention.
Clock is ticking towards the April 2012 opening of their new stadium. Hopefully just as that complex, the finishing touches on the Miami Marlins logo and jerseys is not completed, but are a work in progress.

w your post and pictures and thought “Oh no! Jint Halloween colors!” “What are the Marlins thinking?” I have a friend who is both a Dodger fan and a Marlin fan (she lived in Miami 30 years). She better not come to Dodger Stadium in our section (she also has season tix in my section) dressed in orange.
Emma

Emma,
I hope this was just a PR balloon sent up by the Marlins to test the waters and see if there would be cheering or outcry with the logo and jersey design.
I know if the Rays had done something like this, or incorporated pinstripes, I would be the first to call and rant.I guess the good thing is they can always use the teal and grey Marlins jerseys now on “Throw-Back Day”, but with this new color scheme, they will have 79 home games or known in Miami as “Throw-Up Days/Nights”.

I was wondering how the Marlins were going to incorporate their leaked logo (colors) into the jerseys and such, and my questions were unfortunately answered by these hideous uniforms. I hope none of this real.
Stevehttp://fishfry55.mlblogs.com

Steve,
As Cordaro stated in an earlier post, I can see the Miami Hurricanes similarities, but not sure it this interpretation is more than a swing and miss strike than a blooper single. Still, it is good to see they embraced some sort of change as their franchise enters their new “fishbowl”. From the centerfield HR extravaganza to this recent logo and jersey leak, the Marlins are at least trying to change…….just think it is in the wrong direction…..But that is just my opinion.

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